Cylinder assembly



July 1, 1969 R. c. HERRELL.

CYLINDER ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 27, 1967 Sheet July 1, 1969 R. C. HERRELL CYLINDER ASSEMBLY Sheet 2 of 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1967 w n w a w M u .l w I w o w 542/ 4? Z /////A///////////// m 2 W M 6 M 3x. 5 a o m Q M. w

lN VENTOR: ROBERT c. HERRELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,452,647 CYLINDER ASSEMBLY Robert C. Herrell, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Baker- Roos, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 618,662 Int. Cl. F15b 15/26; F01b 7/20; F16] 21/08 U.S. Cl. 9223 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cylinder assembly including a plurality of nested cylinders telescopically movable with respect to each other by a fluid force. Said cylinders have collars carried at their upper ends movable to and from positions in which they are interlocked for controlling the telescoping movements of the cylinders with respect to each other.

Background of the invention In a cylinder assembly employing a plurality of nested, telescopically movable cylinders, the cylinder having the largest diameter will be the first one to extend when a pressure force is applied to the assembly, followed by the next largest diameter cylinder, etc. The speed of travel of the cylinders will vary inversely with their diameters so that the cylinders having the largest diameters move at the slowest rates of speed. Therefore, when the assembly is extended for just a portion of its length, the largest diameter and slowest moving cylinder will be the first, and perhaps the only, cylinder that is moved, leaving the faster moving smaller diameter cylinders retracted. The instant invention overcomes this problem by the provision of means which will permit only the faster moving smaller diameter cylinders to be moved While larger diameter cylinders are retained in retracted position.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the invention, as it is embodied in a cylinder assembly having four cylinders, there is provided a first cylinder fixedly mounted on a supporting structure. A second cylinder of smaller diameter is telescopically received within said first cylinder. A third cylinder of a diameter smaller than the second cylinder is telescopically received in said second cylinder. And a fourth cylinder of smaller diameter than the third cylinder is telescopically received in said third cylinder. Said first cylinder is connected adjacent its lower end to a source of fluid under pressure and said second, third, and fourth cylinders haye open lower ends whereby when said fluid is forced into said first cylinder, said second cylinder will be extended to its full length and then said third cylinder will be extended to its full length, and finally the fourth cylinder will be extended. When the fluid is withdrawn, said second, third, and fourth cylinders will retract in the reverse order.

A collar is fixedly mounted on said first cylinder at the upper end thereof, and second and third collars are movably carried at the upper ends of said second and third cylinders, respectively. Said collars are provided with means adapted to lockingly engage the next adjacent collar. Thus, said second collar is movable into locking engagement with said first and third collars so that said fluid will move only the faster moving fourth cylinder toward extended position when it is forced into the assembly, the second and third cylinders being locked in fixed position to the first cylinder. Or the second cylinder can be locked to only the first cylinder through the collars to permit telescopic movement of both the third and fourth cylinders.

Drawing description The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a cylinder assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, but showing the collars locked together.

Detailed description My invention can be embodied in any type of conventional type of cylinder assembly employing a plurality of interfitting, telescoping cylinders in which all but the outermost cylinder are provided with open lower ends or openings adjacent their lower ends for the ingress and egress of fluid under pressure.

In the assembly shown in FIG. 1, there is provided an outer cylinder 10 having a bottom plate 12 and fixedly mounted on a base 14 in any desired manner. The upper end of the cylinder is threadably connected to an annular end cap 16 projecting radially inwardly at the upper end of said cylinder. Desirably, an O-ring 17 is interposed between the cap and cylinder at their interconnection and said cap carries an annular seal 18 and bearing 20* in its inwardly presented face. A second cylinder 22 having an open lower end is disposed within the cylinder 10 in sliding engagement with the seal 18 and bearing 20'. The upper end of the cylinder 22 is also threadably connected to an annular end cap 24 projecting radially inwardly at the upper end of said cylinder. Like the cylinder 10, an O-ring 26 is interposed between cylinder 22 and cap 24, and said cap carries an annular seal 27 and bearing 28 in its inwardly presented face. A third cylinder 30 having an open lower end is disposed within the cylinder 22 in sliding engagement with the seal 27 and bearing 28. The upper end of the cylinder 30 is also threadably connected to an annular end cap 31 projecting radially inwardly at the upper end of the cylinder. Like the caps 16' and 24, an O-ring 32 is interposed between cylinder 30* and cap 31, and said cap carries an annular seal 33 and bearing 34 in its inwardly presented face. And a fourth cylinder 35 having an open lower end is disposed within cylinder 30 in sliding engagement with the seal 33 :and bearing 34. The upper end of cylinder 35 is closed by an end cap 36 with an O-ring seal 37 being interposed between said cylinder and cap.

In order to extend the cylinders 22, 30, and 35, a pipe 38 adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure is mounted in the cylinder 10 adjacent the lower end thereof. A series of openings 39 are formed in the cylinders 22, 30, and 35 adjacent their lower ends to permit the pressurized fluid to enter said cylinders and force them upwardly out of cylinder 10'. The cylinders 22, 30, and 35 are lowered by merely actuating valve means (not shown) to let the fluid flow outwardly through the openings 39 and pipe 38.

As shown, each of the cylinders 22, 30, and 35 have bearings 40 which ride against the next outer cylinder and engage end caps on the next outer cylinder to limit extension movement of said cylinders.

As shown in \FIG. 3, a collar 41 is fixedly mounted on the cap 16 of cylinder by bolts 42. Said collar comprises an annular skirt 43 disposed against the outer circumference of cap 16 and a pair of arcuate, diametrically opposed tongues 44 project radially inwardly from the upper end of the skirt 43 over said cap. An arcuate channel 46 is formed in the inwardly presented face of each of said tongues to define a pair of female locking members.

An annular collar 48 is movably carried on the upper end of cylinder 22. Said collar comprises an annular skirt 50 having a pair of arcuate, diametrically opposed lips 52 projecting radially outwardly from its lower end to define a pair of male locking members adapted to be received in the channels 46. A pair of arcuate tongues 54 in radial alignment with the lips 52 project radially inwardly from the upper end of the skirt 50. Like the tongues 44, tongues 54 have arcuate channels 56 formed in their inwardly presented faces to define a pair of female locking members.

An annular collar 58 is also movably carried on the upper end of cylinder 30. Said collar comprises an annular skirt 60 having an inwardly projecting flange 62 at its upper end disposed against the upper face of cap 31. A pair of arcuate, diametrically opposed lips 64 project radially outwardly from the lower end of the skirt 60 to form a pair of male locking members adapted to be received in the channels6 -filt fllffl As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lips 52 have arcuate lengths less than the arcuate spacing between the tongues 44, and the lips 64 have arcuate lengths less than the arcuate spacing between the tongues 54. Thus, the collars 48 and 58 can be rotated into the unlocked position shown in, FIGS. l and 2. In such position, the collar 48 will rest on the cap 16 and collar 58 will rest on the cap 24. When the collars are in their unlocked positions and fluid is pumped into the assembly, the cylinder 22 will, because of its larger diameter, be first raised, followed successively by cylinders 30 and 35. During such movements, the collar 58 will ride upwardly with cylinder 30, and collar 48 will remain on the cap 16 with its cylinder 22 sliding upwardly through it. When the fluid is removed from the assembly, the cylinder 35 will be retracted first followed successively by cylinders 30 and 22.

Because of their differences in diameter, cylinder 35 moves more rapidly than cylinder 30, which in turn, move-s more rapidly than cylinder 22. Therefore, if the assembly is to be extended for only a portion of its full extended length, it is desirable to extend only the faster moving cylinder 35 or cylinders 35 and 30. Thus, if only cylinder 35 is to be telescoped, collar 48 is rotated to move its lips 52 into the channels 46 of collar 41 and collar 58 is rotated to move the lips 64 into the channels 56 of collar 48. This interlocks cylinders 22 and 30 to cylinder 10 so that only cylinder 35 is free to the extended and retracted when the fluid is pumped into and removed from the assembly. Should it be desired to telescope cylinders 30 and 35, only collar 48 is retated to dispose its lips 52 in channels 46 of collar 41, collars 48 and 58 remaining unlocked with respect to each other. Under this condition, cylinder 30 will be extended followed by cylinder 35. In the event collars 48 and 58 are interlocked without collar 48 being interlocked with collar 41, collar 48 will be merely raised and lowered on cylinder 30 during its extension and retraction movements.

While the invention has been described as employing four cylinders, it is to be understood that it can employ larger or fewer numbers of cylinders. The number of collars employed in the assembly will, of course, be dependent upon the number of cylinders whose movements are to be controlled. For example, if six cylinders are to be employed and it is desired to control the movements of all of them, a collar like collar 41 is mounted on the fixed gutermost cylinder, a cgllar like collar 58 is mounted on the next to the innermost cylinder, and three collars like collar 48 are mounted on the cylinders intermediate the ones carrying collars like 41 and 48. On the other hand, in an assembly in which it is desired to control the movement of only one movable cylinder, a collar like collar 41 is mounted on the fixed outermost cylinder and a collar like collar 58 is mounted on the next adjacent cylinder.

1 claim:

1. A cylinder assembly, comprising a plurality of interfitting cylinders, one of said cylinders being mountable in a fixed position and the other of said cylinders being telescopically movable with respect to said one cylinder, a first collar mounted in fixed axial position on said one cylinder, and second collars movably mounted on a plurality of adjacent ones of said other cylinders, said first and second collars having locking means thereon, the locking means on said first collar being cooperatively engageable with the locking means on the second collar on the next adjacent cylinder and the locking means on each of said second collars being cooperatively engageable with the locking means on the second collar on adjacent cylinders whereby said second collars can be selectively interlocked together and to said first collar for controlling the telescoping movements of said other cylinders.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said first cylinder is provided with means at its lower end for connecting to a source of fluid under pressure and said other cylinders have means at their lower ends for admitting said fluid into them.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said locking means are arcuately spaced on said first and second collars and said second collars are rotatably mounted on said cylinders.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which the locking means on said first collar comprise a plurality of arcuate channels arcuately spaced thereon, and the locking means on said second collars comprise a plurality of arcuate ribs arcuately spaced thereon and a plurality of arcuate channels arcuately spaced thereon in axially spaced relation to said ribs, the arcuate spacing between adjacent channels being greater than the arcuate lengths of said ribs.

5. A cylinder assembly, comprising a plurality of interfitting cylinders including an outermost cylinder, an innermost cylinder, and a plurality of intermediate cylinders interposed between said innermost and outermost cylinders, said outermost cylinder being mountable in a fixed position and the other cylinders being telescopically movable with respect to said outermost cylinder, a first collar fixedly mounted on said outermost cylinder, 3. second collar rotatably mounted on each of the intermediate cylinders, a third collar rotatably mounted on said innermost cylinder, each of said collars having locking means thereon engageable with the locking means on the collar on the next adjacent cylinder for controlling the telescoping movements of said cylinders.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5 in which said locking means comprise a plurality of arcuate channels arcuately spaced on said first collar, pluralities of arcuate ribs and arcuate channels arcuately spaced on each second collar, and a plurality of arcuately spaced ribs on said third collar.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said collars has an annular skirt and said channels on said first and second collars are disposed at the upper ends thereof and said ribs on said second and third collars are disposed at the lower ends thereof.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which the arcuate spacing between said channels is greater than the arcuate length of the ribson the collar on the next inner cylinder.

9, The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which the ribs and channels on each second collar are in radial alignment.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 6 with the addition that each of said second and third collars is axially movable on the cylinder on which it is mounted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 270,323 1/1883 Mann 285---401 X 755,035 3/1904 OBrien 92-52 X 10 762,350 6/1904 Rehnstrom 286-401 X 778,936 1/1905 Witmond 285-360 X 977,472 12/1910 Pilkington 285-360 X 1,947,743 2/1934 Schoeneck 285401 X 6 2,455,439 12/1948 Page 9215 X 2,854,958 10/1958 Wood et a1. 92-53 2,961,837 11/1960 Suderow 92--51 X FOREIGN PATENTS 761,914 1/1934 France.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner. I. C. COHEN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

